A pair of iPhone 4s running an experimental science app are heading for the International Space Station next month, it was just announced at Apple’s WWDC.
Two iPhone 4s certified for space travel will be on board Space Shuttle Atlantis, the shuttle fleet’s historic final mission, STS-135.
Due to take off from Cape Canaveral on July 8 the iPhone 4s will be running the SpaceLab for iOS app from Odyssey Space Research, which will be used for space research. They will remain on the ISS for several months for the crew to conduct a series of experiments.
Among other things, the app will help ISS astronauts find their relative position is space by matching pictures of the Earth taken with the iPhone’s camera to a database of coastline maps in the app.
A $0.99 “terrestrial” version of SpaceLab for iOS app is available today from the App Store. According to the company: “Flight data from the experiments are expected to be collected, analyzed, and then shared via this app on the App Store.”
Leander Kahney is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac.
Leander is a longtime technology reporter and the author of six acclaimed books about Apple, including two New York Times bestsellers: Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products and Inside Steve’s Brain, a biography of Steve Jobs.
He’s also written a top-selling biography of Apple CEO Tim Cook and authored Cult of Mac and Cult of iPod, which both won prestigious design awards. Most recently, he was co-author of Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition.
Leander has been reporting about Apple and technology for nearly 30 years.
Before founding Cult of Mac as an independent publication, Leander was news editor at Wired.com, where he was responsible for the day-to-day running of the Wired.com website. He headed up a team of six section editors, a dozen reporters and a large pool of freelancers. Together the team produced a daily digest of stories about the impact of science and technology, and won several awards, including several Webby Awards, 2X Knight-Batten Awards for Innovation in Journalism and the 2010 MIN (Magazine Industry Newsletter) award for best blog, among others.
Before being promoted to news editor, Leander was Wired.com’s senior reporter, primarily covering Apple. During that time, Leander published a ton of scoops, including the first in-depth report about the development of the iPod. Leander attended almost every keynote speech and special product launch presented by Steve Jobs, including the historic launches of the iPhone and iPad. He also reported from almost every Macworld Expo in the late ’90s and early ‘2000s, including, sadly, the last shows in Boston, San Francisco and Tokyo. His reporting for Wired.com formed the basis of the first Cult of Mac book, and subsequently this website.
Before joining Wired, Leander was a senior reporter at the legendary MacWeek, the storied and long-running weekly that documented Apple and its community in the 1980s and ’90s.
Leander has written for Wired magazine (including the Issue 16.04 cover story about Steve Jobs’ leadership at Apple, entitled Evil/Genius), Scientific American, The Guardian, The Observer, The San Francisco Chronicle and many other publications.
Leander is an expert on:
Apple and Apple history
Steve Jobs, Jony Ive, Tim Cook and Apple leadership
Apple community
iPhone and iOS
iPad and iPadOS
Mac and macOS
Apple Watch and watchOS
Apple TV and tvOS
AirPods
Leander has a postgrad diploma in artificial intelligence from the University of Aberdeen, and a BSc (Hons) in experimental psychology from the University of Sussex.
He has a diploma in journalism from the UK’s National Council for the Training of Journalists.
Leander lives in San Francisco, California, and is married with four children. He’s an avid biker and has ridden in many long-distance bike events, including California’s legendary Death Ride.
You can find out more about Leander on LinkedIn and Facebook. You can follow him on X at @lkahney or Instagram.
22 responses to “iPhone 4 Is Headed To Space On Final Space Shuttle Mission”
“Hey, what is that down there? Australia?”
“No, no… I think that might be, er… Madagascar.”
“You’re just guessing, aren’t you? Better get that iPhone out, bro. Find out where the hell we are. I mean, I can recognise the USA but hell, they didn’t tell us there were other countries out there. Who knew?”
Seriously, all that positioning technology on board and they’re going to test an app that matches coastline patterns? The mind boggles.
how will the accelerometer/gyroscope work? :O!
And moving forwards, why use thousands of dollars worth of positioning technology on future vehicles or satellites if you can do the same thing with a camera and a cheap app that matches coastline patterns?
It’s all about looking for better ways of doing things.
It’s true they have the million dollar global positioning equipment on board, but now they’re using something that fits in the palm of their hand, “just works” and costs next to nothing. The awesome and versatile iPhone. Android need not apply. Eventually the entire space station will be controlled by a single iPad.
Rolf – You mean….
Apple follows android into space – 6 months behind.
As they have been with everything for the last 2 years.
…
Pretty
Absorbing accumulation. Couldnt be typewritten any improved. Measuring this
position reminds me of my old shack beast! He e’er kept talking almost this.
I testament presumptuous this move to him. Pretty trustworthy he present jazz
a redemptive see. Thanks for intercourse!
Lustige t shirts
Car Hire Aurora
The gadgets and the hype don’t get to me too much but I just wish that they would see that the Chinese who work for their subcontractors were treated like human beings.
Michael
i think its just an advertisimant step, nothing esle. its not need for since..read here ????????? there are more useful information at this site. Thank you, for atention!
You’re soooo
talented in writing. God is truly utilizing you in tremendous ways.
http://www.shirtbomb.de/druckv…
great said dear!
t-shirt
druck
| t-shirt
selbst gestalten | shirt
bedrucken
Exploring the deep realms of heart and mind, of conscious living My brothers and sisters the time for truth and love is now, so please feel free to share this compiled information :)Embrace your self in amazing new discoveries and ongoing investigations of existance and conciousness with David Wilcockhttp://www.youtube.com/… in time to a forgotten history with Ancient Aliens History Channel documentarieshttp://www.youtub… what it means to care for each other via truth syrums of Earthlingshttp://www.youtube.c… with Charlie and explore the possibilities of freedom of the Love Policehttp://www.youtube.com/u… your self for mind blowing knowledge with my playlist Disclosure Revelationshttp://www.youtube…. the importance and power of free speech communication of WIKI Leakshttp://www.youtube.com/us… into the minds of beautiful men and women in my Interviews playlisthttp://www.youtube.com… about some of the most inspiring Peoplehttp://www.youtube.com/u… history’s mysteries with Graham Hancockhttp://www.youtube.com/… into the world of dark cabal secrets with Michael Tsarionhttp://www.youtube.com/… Tsarion | 2012 The Future of Mankind – The Granada Forum in Los Angeles, 2006http://www.youtube.com/wat… Tsarion – Age of Manipulation – 1/3http://www.youtube.com/watch?… the time to view my informative compilation “UFO Disclosure A Global Deception Conspiracy ” On YOUTUBE, it is a compilation of evidence revealed by former military personnel, astronauts, politicians & American presidents. This contains credibleaired UFO news footage. The compilation contains knowledge of life beyond Earth + the current ongoing presence and initiated contact which has being hidden from the public for over 50 years + more.UFO Disclosure A Global Deception Conspiracy 1 of 3http://www.youtube.com/user/F… Disclosure A Global Deception Conspiracy 2 of 3http://www.youtube.com/user/F… Disclosure A Global Deception Conspiracy 3 of 3http://www.youtube.com/user/F…“Secret Access: UFO’s On The Record” | History Channelhttp://www.youtube.com/… untill you can’t with Bill Hicks – Revelations (The entire set)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v… for the innocent of the Waco Texas Massacure and learn the value of loveThe Waco siege began on February 28, 1993, and ended violently 50 days later on April 19.[1] The siege began when the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) attempted to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian ranch at Mount Carmel, a property located 9 miles (14 km) east-northeast of Waco, Texas. On February 28, shortly after the attempt to serve the warrant, an intense gun battle erupted, lasting nearly 2 hours. In this armed exchange, four agents and six Branch Davidians were killed. Upon the ATF’s failure to execute the search warrant, a siege was initiated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The siege ended 50 days later when a second assault on the compound was made and a fire destroyed the compound. 76 people (24 of them British nationals)[2] died in the fire, including more than 20 children, two pregnant women, and the sect leader David Koresh. In summary the united states government decided to use deadly force and poisons, fear tactics against children , tactics such as setting the compound on fire and ramming tanks into it along with shooting bullets into the house and these are just a few minor detailshttp://www.youtube.com/… from me to you with best hopes and intentMy YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/Fr…